The image of open hands is a common Christian icon. It’s an interesting symbol because cupped hands can illustrate an asking or even begging. They can also symbolize open offering, a giving.
In Eastern symbology, an upright hand symbolizes truth and the masculine. An open, downward hand symbolizes the feminine and giving.
This is the time of year when giving and receiving are prominent – the giving of gifts, the hosting of events, sharing with friends and family, services, and so forth.
Some of us are very much about “what’s in it for me” – receiving. We’re in a consumer culture that amplifies our sense of entitlement. We may focus on what we haven’t got rather than what we have. And we’re often taught prayer as a way of asking for things.
Others are more identified with giving. Our lives are devoted to others, often at the expense of ourselves. Such people can have a real challenge receiving – be it compliments or support. While we may see giving as superior, they both lead to suffering when driven by identification.
This is ego-based living driven by a story of what is “right” or proper, by shoulds and musts. All we have to do is listen to our mental commentary to see the self-justification, excuses, and drama of the stories at play. How much of that dialogue is real?
I’ve written before about Deep Prayer, a prayer of trust and allowing, Thy will be done. I’ve also talked about True Prayer, an open asking without conditions.
In other words, there is an art to giving and an art to receiving. When we’re driven by fear and control, then it revolves around a me. When we are rooted in the deeper reality of who we are, the me is no longer in charge. Then we can give without expectation or burden. And we can receive with grace.
The energy barriers and resistance we once carried fall away, allowing relationships to be less about battles for position and more about open sharing.
This opens the door to our life being about the whole. We give to the whole and the whole supports us in return. There is always enough. Divisions naturally dissolve.
Merry isn’t found in indulgences nor reserved for Christmas.
Ho Ho Ho!
Davidya
Beautiful!!!!!
Thanks, Michael.
A curious year – I often do an Xmas post but what came up for inspiration was Johnny Appleseed. (laughs)
This was a second attempt but it’s not quite what I had in mind. But I liked where it went as a post.
A very touching musing here David. Thanks.
Thanks, Greg. Both of you have fun!
Thanks for giving this, Davidya. Glad you get to receive my gratitude, too.
Thanks, Rose – for giving all you do.
Ho Ho Ho!
There are 2 separate things – first wanting something and second asking for it. If one grew up in a tradition of petitionary prayer then there has to be some learning to stop petitioning. But that does not make the feeling of wanting something go away. One possible way around this is to offer up the want / or the feeling of lack itself as an offering during prayer. Because what else can you do with it if you cannot petition for it? Deep prayer or true prayer has to happen I believe, one cannot will it and it is tricky to learn as a mechanical exercise. It has to come about by itself. If there is a way to induce it, then I would be quite interested in learning how. At least these are my 2 cents.
Hi K
No, desires are fine. They drive us to action. The issue is around our relationship with them. Are we obsessed by them? Attached to them? Frustrated? Or can we simply notice they’re there?
Sometimes, desires are born of unresolved baggage, showing up as a way to heal. But in that case, it’s ideal to heal internally rather than acting it out.
When deep peace and happiness arise, a lot of desire is met.
But yes, before that, learning to express desires in a healthy way is good. Asking for it, yes, but we can also act towards it. Waiting for things to come without acting towards can be folly.
https://davidya.ca/2008/07/29/all-arises-from-self-effort/
A feeling of lack is a little different. That can be born of our worldview. For example:
https://davidya.ca/2007/09/21/sufficiency/
But yes, deeper forms of prayer can be practiced but the true forms usually arise spontaneously. However, it can be useful to point it out so the attention is aware of the option.
A lot of this comes out of spiritual growth. When we can take a step back out of the stories then deeper abilities become available.
The key to how comes out of transcendence or samadhi. By touching source within, we culture deeper awareness and gradually shift to a broader perspective not caught by local limitations.
(this is part of a conversation that has migrated from post to post)
Hi David and Happy Holidays! Yes, prayer is greatly overlooked as a means to fulfill desires.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once gave the explanation that if we are not living a full life, fully aware of all of our sheaths, and transcending them, the prayers don’t even make it out of the gate.
On the other hand, once consciousness is mastered, the prayers go exactly where they are meant to go, and life joyfully complies, because life’s greatest joy is responding to a mastery of consciousness.
There is nothing particularly personal about it, more about the ability to deserve a response, and the deserving mechanically follows a growing purity of consciousness, an all knowing, the innocent status of Brahman, and Divine life, open to anyone with the sincerity and stamina to make the journey.
Thanks again for tickling my awareness into a response.:-)
Happy Holidays in Paradise, Jim! 🙂
Yes, we don’t even have to worry about “correct placement”. When we’re aware of the full range of nature, then all of nature is also aware of us. Whatever impulse arises is acted upon to fulfill it on request (in the ideal time).
However, I’d mention there is degrees of this – it’s not a yes-no thing. The more clarity and depth there is, the more awareness there is and the more they’re aware of us. Support builds over time.
Wrote about this back in the day
https://davidya.ca/2009/02/20/energizing-cooperation/
On the other hand, we’ve both shared examples of times when we have been more direct, speaking to the devata or to their leader/ royalty directly for a very specific result. Working with the wind to smooth a rough plane ride, for example. Or those invading birds you had.
Largely, this just arises spontaneously and unfolds.
Thank you! Yes, Paradise. It is always nice to be home. 🙂
I was just reading about the legend of Eut-le-ten, a great warrior from your island. Through his strength and focus, and making arrows for four years (!), he built an arrow-chain to “the vault of heaven”, by shooting arrows straight into heaven, with each arrow catching the previous one, until a bridge was formed, and then he climbed it. 🙂
Thanks for the adjustment to what I said about the power of prayer. Yes, it is absolutely a spectrum of efficiency, analog vs. digital.
Yeah, spontaneous fulfillment takes some management, and a different skill set, and that is where the attention has been lately, aka *Kindergarten* (the games are all great fun, snacks are delicious, and nap time is a blast).
Ah thanks – didn’t know that story.
And yes- there is so much learning to do. We’ve spent decades learning how to be in the smallest part of it. And then the doors open to all the rest of it.
Some, we can discover ourselves and other things are shown and still others we discover in comparing notes or others experience.
Such a grand adventure!
Hi!
Always a pleasure to read you both sharing! 🙂
Would you mind sharing a little deeper the “directly speaking with a devata/leader” for specific purposes? (like calming the wind or with the birds)
all the best
Michael
Hi Michael
It’s pretty straightforward and arises automatically as those values become conscious.
Say something comes up and we wish to shift things, like a plane trip being buffeted by strong winds. We can communicate with the wind (talk, feel, whatever is natural) and request they move off. (politely)
Sometimes, they’ll be receptive. No problem, it’s not contrary to their work. Sometimes, they’ll have attitude. Or sometimes they’ll feel its not their decision or its contrary to instructions. Just like any bureaucracy.
You can then appeal to their supervisor (which is just a matter of intention). If that doesn’t work, to the leader or law of nature itself. For some of those, its like a royal court. The key then is deference and making a submission. Overdone perhaps but it can get results. Pissing them off can make it worse.
It will be interesting to see how things evolve. They’re mostly not used to being noticed by people and tend to see us as bumbling doffuses who make a mess of their work.
When this becomes more commonly conscious, the dynamics may change a lot. Findhorn comes to mind.
Its worth noting, I don’t give this much attention myself. Most of my attention is on the mundane as that is where this life is.
But it does come up on occasion, such was when out for a stroll or with an issue that might be addressed this way.
The old texts suggest that at some point we develop command over our environment. This is quite a bit more advanced.
Thanks David!
Command over them…..that reminded me of Jesus commanding the wind.
I just start to become aware of “natural laws” that manifest themself in this world in a certain way. It is not something i put my focus on but this just shows up more and more.
🙂
Right – just keep in mind that comes later. A little respect goes a long way prior to that.
And yes, it tends to unfold gradually, with occasional punctuation marks. 🙂
Yes michael, just to emphasize please, we come to any increased influence through humility, surrender, responsibility, clarity, and knowledge, never force.
We earn such an audience with the rulers of various aspects of nature. And approach them on our knees, at first. The hem of the robe. 🙂
All the best to you.
Yes, it always surpasses even the imagination.
Speaking of new adventures, I remember a quandary from many years ago that I came across wrt Unity Consciousness: If an enlightened man can fulfill all of his desires, why can’t he just enlighten the world quickly, because it is him, and he is it?
After decades of doing individual energy healing (consisting of focused dispersal, cosmic ingestion, and a bit of re-imprinting), I have fairly recently recognized that the same techniques can be applied to any areas of the earth, including all inhabitants.
Fascinating, and rewarding research – still a long way to go, obviously. Onward and upward. 🙂
Hi Jim
Yeah – that relates to individual vs group. What we might personally want isn’t necessarily useful for the whole. That gradually shifts.
Part of the point of creation is the unfolding. Otherwise, there would be no process. By unfolding, all of the nuances and details can become conscious and embodied, increasing wholeness.
That also points to the idea that its about the journey, not the destination.
And yes, the explorations are near infinite in scope, even if our focus is narrow. Healing on the cosmic level can have a profound benefit but often takes time to show up in “individual” experience because of the layers the change must move through.
In that sense, working on individuals still has benefit also.
Hi David,
You write: “Healing on the cosmic level can have a profound benefit but often takes time to show up in “individual” experience because of the layers the change must move through.
In that sense, working on individuals still has benefit also.”
The healing you talk about, are you referring to how meditation where one connects to source, have healing effects which might not show up immediately in one’s life, because it has to move from the deepest levels to the surface? Or are you talking about something else?
Thanks.
Hi N
No, something else.
When you heal deep within, it does indeed sometimes take time for the changes to show on the surface even if the shifts are very profound. Other times, changes are obvious immediately.
The cosmic isn’t personal though – its universal. Healing in the cosmic affects everyone to some degree. But like the above, it takes time for that to show up in obvious ways.
There is a deep movement underway that is waking up the whole. But this is anything but obvious on the surface yet. It can even seem like the world is regressing. But there are lots of signs the regression is purification rather than a forward trend. What is unseen coming to the surface to be resolved.
Where we’re going is not familiar territory to most people. But its a major upgrade. 🙂
Ah, okay. Thank you.
I just heard Lorne talk about how the deeper one go the more of the collective stuff one will have to release. Do you know if the is the case for all people or just empaths or unskilled empaths?
The deeper you go, the more universal it is. It’s not a “have to”, it’s just what unfolds.
If you think of yourself as a wave on the ocean, you’re never separate from the collective.
When you become conscious of the deeper levels, your attention also becomes much more potent so working at those levels is even more effective. It’s not a bad thing at all.
And yes, this is universal. Empath gifts are not as deep as this.
Right – a lot to work with. Whatever comes up. 🙂
Perhaps that is why I have heard the enlightenment purifies one’s family seven generations back and into the future?
Yes, I’ve heard similar, though specifically with Brahman. Awakening would also be of benefit though perhaps not as complete. Because there is an initial clearing, then more over time, this would probably mature over time.
It would also clear not just the bloodline but the souls history. I’ve seen evidence it even changes the past.
Especially interesting with the “changing the past” stuff.
Yes. Note that your past is not separate so changing your past changes the whole past. You decided not to kill someone means they live and affect others, etc.